Baseball game



April 29, 1924. 1,492,368

J. FUNAI BASEBALL GAME Filed July 1 1922 2 Sheecs-Sheet 1 STRIKES RUNS s/ms N Jz/kichi ,Fmqi

J. FUNAI April 29, 1924.

BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1 1922 jwu'znfoz I Ju/richi Funai Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

' untrue STATES teases rumom sonar, or sm'r'rnn, wesnmeron.

BASEBALL GAME.

Application filed July 1,

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, JUKICHI FUNAI, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, and'resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baseball Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a game in the form of a baseball game which is chancecontrolled and wherein opportunity is presented for disposing of plays in the manner such as they would be disposed of by actual players upon a baseball diamond.

It is an object ofmy invention to provide play-controlling devices for such a game which will permit a wide variation'in the possibilities of any one play and yet without reducing the proper proportion between the various types of plays. For instance, in a baseball game, strikes and balls considerabl predominate in proportion to batted bal s. Likewise, one-base hits occur considerably more frequently than home runs, and ground balls upon which a runner is thrown out are more frequent than hits. It is my object to maintain these relative proportions without involving the use of a large single indicator.

A further object is to provide play-controllin devices for such a game, certain thereo having indeterminate indications and others, whose use is indicated thereby, having either determinate or indeterminate indications, the final determinations of the play being left in suspension until (the final determinate indication is indicated, and the chances for difierent final dis sitionsof such; plays on difierent occasions eing thereby enhanced.

A further object is to provide an element of surprise in the use of casual devices which may be employed under certain conditions at any time, by means of which the fortunes of one of the opponents may be advanced or retarded Summed up, it is my object to provide a baseball game which may be played by two 1922. Serial No. 572,128.

members and the novel indications thereon and in the relations 5 ecified and hereinafter claimed, which shall e hereinafter described in the specification, defined by the claim,

and which is illustrated in the accompanydrawings.

%n the accompanying drawings 1 have shown a typical lay-out of the elements used in playing the game, although it is to be understood that the particular arrangement illustrated may be widely varied without departing from the scope of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of the baseball diamond which may be employed to keep track of the plays as they occur.

Figure 2 is an elevation illustrating one of the devices which is typical of those which may be employed to control the play in my game.

Fi pea-ring on the rima la -controllin device, or pitcher ball p y Fi re a is a chart of the indications whic appear upon the secondary play-controlling device, or batter ball, which is brought into use through the use of the primary device.

F1 av third, or one ofthe determinate, p aycontrolling devices.

. Fi res 6 and 7 are charts, respectively, of ti: indications appearing upon two others of the determinate devices.

Fi re 8 is a chart of the indications whic appear upon one of the casual devices,- or base-stealing balls.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a counter which may be emplo ed to indicate a base runner u on the playing field of Fi re 1.

It is o viously inconvenient an practically impossible to indicate upon any single play controlling device the wide variety of plays which may occur in' a baseball game, without seriously disturbing the proportionate relation of such plays. I have, therefore, provided a series of play-controlling devices, those which I ing in the shape of alls with attened faces, with as many of these faces to each ball as may be practicable or desirable, these. devices to be rolled as dice. Such a ball is shown in Figure 2, and this particular re 3 is a chart of the indications ap- I prefer to em loy bere 5 is a chart of the indications u n lib ball is intended to have thirt two faces, Upon the primary of these be ls, which I shall designate as the pitcher ball, or key device, I provide a series of indications gliilch indicate the primary plays in basea 3, and as an instance of the plays, the star A may indicate a strike, the circle B a ball, the ring C a wild pitch, the cross D a batter hit by pitched ball, and the bat and ball E a batted ball. These indications are divided in about the proportion in which such primary plays would occur in an actual baseball ame, so that balls would cutnumber strikes, both would outnumber batted balls, and the wild pitch and other unusual plays would be comparatively infrequent,

It will be noted that all of the plays time indicated on the pitcher ball are determinate except the batted hall. For instance, when astrike is thrown, this is an advantage for the pitcher or the side in the field, but requires no positive action unless it is the third strike, and then the play is determinote only in indicating an out. When a ball is thrown, it is either an advantage for the batsman requiring no action, or, if the fourth ball, he is placed upon first base. However, if a ball is batted, this is indeterminate and one does not know if the ball was fair or foul, if hit at a fielder or a safe hit, whether a bunt, a grounder, or a fly. In order to indicate such a variety of p ays the faces allotted to batted balls would have to be greatly increased, and to avoid disturbing their proportion to balls,

strikes and the like, the number of faces would again have to be increased beyond reasonable limits.

' In order to determine mo s ecifically the character of the batted bal, another lay-controlling device or ball, which I shall eslgnate as the batter ball, must be emloyed. Theindications upon the batter al are shown in Figure 4. Here, for instance, the star F indicates a home run; the three squares G represent a three-base hit; the numeral 1, designated by H, represents aball batted towards No. 1 fielder; the two s uares I represent a two-base hit; and the single square J represents a onebase hit. The numeral 5, designated by K, represents a ball batted toward No. 5 fielder; the four dots L represent an out on a liner to pitcher. Obviously, if a runner occupied one of the bases this would ordinsrily result in a double play, and this indication serves for such a play. The bat and ball M re resent a foul rounder; the humber d, esignated b represents a ball batted toward No. Q elder; the two dots U represent a foul fly; the letter B designated by P represents a bunt; the word No, designated by (3}, represents a fiy or Such indications are shown in Figure menses liner, generally to a fielder; the numeral 6, designated by R, represents a ball batted toward No. 6 fielder.

0n the playing field 11, it will be noted that the various fielders are represented by numerals, the catcher bein%\T No. 2, the

pitcher No. 1, first baseman 0. 3, second baseman No. 4-, short stop No. 6, third baseman No. 5, and the fielders 7, 8 and 9. Thus, if the indication H is brought upward on No. 2 ball, this indicates a grounder or fly except a linelrT) batted to the pitcher. If t e indication comes uppermost, this indicates a ball batted toward the second baseman, Obviously this indication is not, in itself, determinate, for the fielder may catch the ball and throw the better out, he may make an error, when the runner would be safe, or if runners are on the bases the fielder may make a double play. In order that this disposition of the play may finally be determined, if the ball is batted toward one of the holders the fielder ball is emplo ed, the indications thereon being shown in igure 5. Here the star S indicates an out, the two stars T represent a double play, and the square U represents an error. The relative proportions of these plays is ar ranged as nearly as possible in accordance with the frequenc of their occurrence in a game, with cuts predominating.

In addition to the indeterminate indications on the batter ballwhich indicate only that the ball has been batted toward a fielder, there are other indeterminate indications, as, for instance, the bunt indication P. When this indication is shown it is necessary to select one of the two hunt, the indications upon which are shown respectively in Figures 6 and 7. The first bunt ball, shown in Figure 6, is em loyed when there are no runners on the bases and a bunt is indicated on the batter ball. In Figure 6 the star V indicates that the bet ter is out, the square W indicates thatthe batter is safe, and the two squares X indicate that the batter made two bases on the bunt. These indications also are employed in the proportion they would occur in a baseball game, as nearly as possible. In Figure 7, illustrating the second bunt ball, to be used when runners are on base and the batter ball indicates a bunt, the first star above a square Y, indicates that the batter was out but that the runner advanced, that is, a sacrifice bunt. The second star and square, Z, indicates that the runner was out but that the batter is safe, in other words, a fielders choice. The two squares a indicate that both runner and batter were safe, while the two stars 5 indicate that a double play resulted and both the runner and the batter were put out. These balls are therefore determinate in the same manner as the fielder ball, being used interchangeably therewith as their useis indicated by the batter ball. In these bunt balls it will be noted that the star indicates an advantage to the side in the field, while the squares indicate. an advantage to the sidevat bat. Similarly this same system might be employed in the other .balls, although it is best carried out in these bunt balls.

I ma employ one or more casual ball or balls w ich are designated as the base-stealing balls, the indications upon the first of these base-stealing balls being shown in v Figure 8 and being typical of those upon two other base-stealin balls which I prefer to employ. These balls are to be employed by the side at bat whenever runners are on the bases and it is desired to attempt to steal a base. In Figure 8 the ring 0 indicates that the runner was out stealing, the two squares d that the runner stole two bases, the square 6 represents that one base was stolen, and the crossed square f represents an attempt to steal but a return to the base previously occupied. The other basestealing balls are employed when runners occupy other bases than first base and a steal is to be attempted. The indications are similar to those on the ball described, with appropriate indications of the fate of all runners.

The ame is begun by one side, as the side in the eld, rolling the pitcher ball, which, as is quite evident, is the primary of key play-controllin device. If a ball, strike, wild pitch, or a it by pitched ball sign comes uppermost, when the pitc er ball finally comes to rest, the play is obvious. However, if the batted ball sign E comes uppermost it is then necessary to determine what kind of batted ball resulted and what disposition was made of the play. The side at bat thereupon rolls the subsidiary or batter ball. If the sign for a hit, respectively F, G I, or J is uppermost when the batter ball comes to rest, the play is obvious, the batter taking the base indicated and an runner on base moving up the amount indicated by the hit. If the indication L shows that the batter lined out to the pitcher, clearly the batter is out and if a runner is on base this would have resulted in a double lay and the runner likewise would have en ut out. The foul indications, M and respectively, merely count for strikes, as do fouls in the game of baseball, or it may be made a part of the playin rules that u on a foul fiy another bal may be roll whether or not an out resulted.

In case the hunt indication P is uppermost, it is necessary to determine whether or not the batter was safe, and if a runner was on base, whether the runner was advanced. If no er was on base the side in the grounder and foul fiy,

ed to indicate including an indication of a batt field rolls the first bunt ball, which is in turn subsidiary to the batter ball. This indicates whether or not the batter was safe, out, or made two bases on his bunt. This finally determines the play. If a runner is on base, the second bunt ball is rolled by the side in the field and this finally deter mines the play, both as to the batter and as to the runner.

If when the batter ball comes to rest it indicates the ball was batted to a fielder, as fielder No. 6, indication R, this indicates that a ball was batted to the short stop. It is not known yet if the short stop caught the ball and made an out, or if an error resulted whereby the batsman gained his base. It is then necessary to roll a difierent subsidiary ball, the fielder ball, to determine the disposition of the play. This will indicate that the batsman was safe on an error, or out, or that a double play resulted if the bases were occupied by runners. This finally determines the play. A similar de termination ma be made in case of the fly or liner indication Q, or this may be taken as an out, as would usually occur.

At any time when runners are on bases, the side at bat has the option of rolling one of the casual or base-stealing balls, the proper ball being determined by the most advanced base occupied by runners. Suposing first base to be occupied, the first base-stealing ball would be, rolled. This would indicate either that the runner was out stealin was safe, that he stole two bases, or t at he attempted to steal but changed his mind and returned to the base reviously occu ied. The second and third base-stealing alls ma have indications for a double or triple stea or for one runner to have been ut out and another runner to be safe, an similar indications to those on the first of these balls. By the use of these balls an element of surprise is introduced into the game and a further element of chance whereby the side at bat may advance or retard its fortune by means independent of the succession of throws of the pitcher, batter and fielder balls.

It will be obvious that variations upon the game may be worked out, and by the use of more balls more complicated plays may be brought into the game. Those described here are merely suggestive, and their character, the proportion of one play to another on the same ball, and various other details of the ame may be varied to suit the desires of t e players of the game.

at I claim as my invention is:

A baseball ame comprising a playing field, counters or representing runners and devices for controlling the pla of said game comprising a pitcher device aving indications thereon of difierent prinar plays, ball, a

see

its

aeeeeee batter device having an indication thereon to the presence or leek 0i counters representof the character or direction of the batted in runners on the bases. v ball, including a bunt indication, and usable igned at Seattle, King County, Wash- 10 only when the pitcher device indicates a ington, this 21st day of June, 1922. 5 batted ball, and a plurality of determinate JUKICHI FUNAI.

bunt devices selectively usable when a bunt Witness: is indicated by the batter device, according a A. S. Ixnm. 

